A Mother's Love
by darkfaerierising
Summary: Catherine's daughter Lindsey is abducted and the team searches frantically to find and return her safely. But will Catherine have to pay the ultimate sacrifice to save her daughter? Read and REVIEW! CathGrissom relationship maybe...we'll see! Ch 10 is up!
1. Prologue

A Mother's Love

Author's note I do not own CSI or any of the characters. I am merely using them to create a story of my own with my own twists. However much I want to own CSI, sadly, I do not. Please enjoy and read and respond as you wish!

PROLOGUE

The night was dark as she carefully crept out of her house and into the woods. Closing the gate she felt her sweatshirt catch on the wooden post and she tugged. A scrap remained behind as she kept on. Pushing the heavy foliage aside, she reached the clearing and sat on a nearby tree stump. Her eyes found the ring of stones under which her hidden matches were. As she lit a candle from her backpack and she spread a blanket on the ground, she kept her eyes on the sky. She settled in to wait for the moon to rise and the stars to shine their brightest. She was unaware of her eyes watching her every move.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Crime Scene Investigator Gil Grissom's beeper went off and he rolled over in bed sleepily. He glanced at the screen and saw the code flashing. 419 pause 414. A body found and a kidnapping. It was only 8:45pm. He sighed and got up to get ready. Another day at work was just beginning.

Catherine Willows was reading when her beeper went off. She saw the codes and groaned. She was hoping for a quiet and uneventful night at work, but working the graveyard shift meant all kinds of activity. She slung her backpack over her shoulder, kissed her mother goodbye and peeked into her thirteen-year-old daughter Lindsey's room. The teenager was curled up against the wall, apparently asleep. A smile on her face, Catherine hopped into her Land Rover and headed for the laboratory.

Nick Stokes and Sara Sidle crawled out of their bed when their pagers went off and they recognized the code. He kissed her quickly as he pulled on his clothing from where he'd dropped it only six hours before. Sara smiled, ran a brush through her short brunette hair and buttoned the blouse of her shirt. Minutes later they were driving their Land Rover, which was identical to Catherine's, to the lab to await their assignments.

Greg Sanders was asleep in the locker room at the lab. His pager went off and he bolted awake. His sandy blond hair was haphazardly tousled and his brown eyes were sleepy as he peered at the pager codes. Mumbling under his breath about being overworked and underpaid and wondering why he still loved his job, he stumbled to the shower to freshen up.

Warrick Brown shrugged into his lab clothes and grabbed his field kit as he headed for the door of his apartment. Glancing back at the beautiful woman still asleep in his bed, he smiled. Life was good. He had a gorgeous woman, an unpredictable job he enjoyed and all in all, he was content. Now if only the rest of the world would get their priorities straight and he'd be even happier. He hummed as he drove to the lab in his Ford Explorer.


	3. Chapter 2

Author's note I know this chapter is really short but bear with me because I'm writing as fast as I can and I want to keep you interested! I totally don't know what the official police codes are...so don't hate me cuz they might be wrong!

Chapter 2: At the Lab

Sara and Nick parked their Land Rover as Catherine pulled into the driveway. Catherine smiled at the couple and followed them inside the building. Warrick was right on her heels. Grissom was waiting for them, a stack of papers in his hand and his expression solemn. Greg stumbled in a moment later, still looking sleepy and his hair dripping wet from the shower.

"What do we have, Grissom?" Warrick asked, his green eyes alert. He focused on the lead CSI's face.

"A 419 on the strip, and a 414 in a residence area." Grissom answered, surveying their faces and his gaze fell on Sara and Nick's joined hands. Sara dropped Nick's hand and offered an apologetic smile to her leader and former love interest. Gil nodded at her and continued.

"Nick, Sara and Greg take the 414 in the residence. Warrick and Catherine and I will take the 419 in the strip." Grissom decided and they bobbed their heads in agreement. As they gathered the rest of their field equipment and their kits they exchanged glances and departed with smiles on their faces.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Nick, Sara and Greg's case

Nick parked the Land Rover on the street and saw the yellow police tape marking off the house. The house stirred a memory in his mind and he frowned, his light brown eyes troubled. Something seemed very familiar about this street and this house, he mused to himself. Sara was already out of the vehicle, her field kit in hand and Greg was right behind her, eager to get started. With a sigh, Nick pushed aside the unsettling thoughts and followed them up to the house.

"Jim, what have we got?" Sara greeted Captain Jim Brass of the Las Vegas Police Department warmly.

"Kidnapping, apparently. The grandmother's inside, quick blow to the head knocked her out. Kidnapped went through the girl's window and followed her to a clearing where she stargazes. Backpack's still there and a ransom note." Captain Brass relayed efficiently and Nick swallowed with slight difficulty. This place was too familiar, he thought again before shrugging the thoughts away.

"All right let's get started. Greg, why don't you shoot pictures? I'll bag the evidence and Sara, can you talk to the grandmother?" Nick requested with a smile and the other two nodded agreeably.

Greg lithely stepped through the woods and they reached the clearing. There was the tree stump with the dropped candle next to it and a ring of stones with leaves brushed aside. Beneath the leaves were two packs of matches and the backpack. Nick examined the backpack and saw that there was another blanket, a pillow, and a diary. Greg snapped pictures of the footprints that were leading away and was about to follow them when a shout caught their attention.

"NICK! GREG!" Sara's shout alerted them to possible trouble and Nick's hand fell on his gun, holstered at his side. Sensing no danger, he and Greg took off towards the house.

They found Sara sitting on the carpet, tears streaming down her face.

"What happened? Are you hurt?" Greg demanded, kneeling next to her.

"Catherine…oh my God. Call Catherine…Lindsey's gone. It's Lindsey who's been kidnapped," Sara whispered and Nick paled. Captain Brass entered and saw them huddled there together.

"What's wrong?" Jim was instantly concerned.

"The girl who was kidnapped is Catherine's daughter Lindsey." Greg told him numbly.

Nick remembered the house now. He had just realized where they were from the interior.

Brass was stunned. "Get her off her case and out of the field. She needs to be here."

From the back of the house Catherine's mother called out weakly, "Catherine, where's Lindsey? What did I do with my baby?"

Grimly, Nick placed the call to Grissom.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Warrick, Grissom and Catherine's case

Catherine snapped pictures of the overweight deceased man, observing the pool of blood under his head. Warrick was bagging the evidence, including a handgun in the victim's possession. Grissom talked to witnesses on the street with the help of Lieutenant Vega from the LVPD.

As Catherine took the last picture she heard Grissom's cell phone ring. He glanced at it and answered.

"Grissom."

"Gil, it's Nick. We've got a major dilemma here." Nick's voice sounded grim and Grissom froze. Something was wrong, he just knew it.

"Tell me."

"The girl who was kidnapped…it's Lindsey." Nick finished and Grissom's eyes filled with tears.

"Oh my God. Okay…I'll…thanks, Nick." Grissom closed the receiver and Warrick could sense the tension in the air. Slowly their leader approached them.

"What's up, Grissom?" Catherine asked. One look at Grissom's face had Warrick on his feet and moving closer to Catherine.

"Cath…it's Lindsey. She's been kidnapped." Grissom told her and Catherine's knees buckled. Warrick caught her as she sank towards the ground and held her up, supporting her weight easily.

"Lindsey! No!" Catherine wouldn't believe him and yet one look in Grissom's sad blue eyes told her it was true. She wept silently, sobs wracking her body. A moment later, she straightened her spine and there was a hard glint in her eyes.

"Grissom…" there was a warning in her voice.

"I'm sorry, Cath. You're on leave until we get her back. Go to your mom. Talk to Sara. We'll get her back, I promise." Gil's expression was apologetic and Catherine glared before her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I'll drive you home," Warrick stated simply as he saw Catherine's pained look.

"Thanks, Warrick. I appreciate it." Catherine's voice was soft and sounded utterly beaten.

Grissom walked to Lieutenant Vega and explained the details. Grissom had the deceased's body put in a bag and signed papers to have it delivered to the lab and for Doc Robbins to do an autopsy on it. Mutely, Grissom gathered his team's kits and drove back to the lab to fill in Doc and get a fresh cup of coffee before Sara, Nick and Greg returned.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Sara, Nick and Greg

Catherine climbed out of her car and unsteadily walked up to the front door. Captain Brass saw her and immediately held out his arms.

"Catherine, I swear we'll get her back." He vowed, hugging the attractive CSI closely.

"My mother…where is she?" Catherine's voice sounded hoarse to her ears and Warrick, who was right behind her, kept a hand on the small of her back.

"Catherine? Oh, Catherine, where's my baby?" A thin elderly voice moaned in the back of the house and Catherine leapt forward at a run.

"Mom!" Throwing herself on the floor, Catherine gathered her mother into a much-needed hug. Together, the two women wept over the loss of Lindsey. Sara and Nick and Greg were in the hallway but in her earnest to get to her mother, Catherine rushed right past them.

Warrick approached them, with a grim look on his face. "How bad is it?"

"She was snatched right out of thin air. It's only ten o'clock now but…I'll have to examine the evidence thoroughly." Nick commented, his eyes on the room where Catherine and her mother were.

Greg left them and reappeared moments later with a box of Kleenex in his hand. Cautiously he approached Catherine and handed it to her without a sound.

"Sorry, Greg. I didn't mean to get all emotional on you." Catherine apologized with a wry smile. He smiled back and helped her to her feet.

Catherine's mother, Eliza, fell asleep and Warrick carried the elderly woman to her bedroom and Sara tucked her in. The group reconvened in the front room, Catherine sitting across from them.

Sara offered, "You know we have to ask, Cath. I'm sorry…in advance."

"It's alright. You're doing our job. Go ahead and ask." Catherine steeled herself for the questions that were about to be asked about her and her personal life.

"Lindsey's thirteen, right?" Nick verified and Catherine nodded mutely.

"Eye color, DOB, hair color, height and weight?" Greg inquired.

"She's got blue eyes, strawberry blond hair, born October 13, 1994. She's five foot four and weighs about…115 pounds." Catherine thought aloud and Greg jotted down her answer.

"Where was she the last time you saw her?" Sara's question was bold and she inwardly regretted it but it needed to be asked.

"She was asleep in her bed when I left here at 8:45. She had done her homework and was hoping to go out to the clearing to look at the stars. For some reason she's become obsessed with star-gazing and I bought her all the necessary equipment." Catherine smiled at the memory of her daughter's delighted face as she opened the package containing the expensive telescope and the thermos and blanket and watch with her name sewn into them.

A thought struck her and she voiced it immediately. "The blanket and thermos and watch have GPS devices in them. She doesn't know about it but she's a teenager in Vegas and I need to know where she is. What was found in the clearing?"

"Not much. The backpack, her telescope and the thermos. We'll search her room for anything she might not have put in the backpack. You'll probably know what she usually takes with her." Sara offered and Catherine nodded.

The night was going to be unbearably long, as were the next few nights until Lindsey was safe with her again, Catherine mused to herself. She'd be best off preparing for quite a few sleepless hours.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: At the Lab

Grissom was waiting as Sara, Nick, Greg, and Warrick returned to the laboratory without Catherine. He was anticipating the evidence, his hands already craving to get started.

"Grissom." Greg offered a nervous smile as he handed him the Polaroid he'd used to capture pictures of the crime scene.

"Relax, Greg. Go out and get us some refreshments, why don't you?" Grissom reassured the recently accredited CSI.

"Anything in particular?"

"Whatever you want. Sara, Nick, Warrick, we'll start in here." Grissom waved towards the empty room behind him where the lab tables were vacant, waiting for the evidence.

"Grissom?" Warrick's voice stopped his leader in his tracks and the head of the team turned to face the handsome African-American man.

"She's torn up pretty bad. She needs you. When we're done here, I'd suggest you go see her. Brass has her house under protection, in case the guy goes back. And he wants her guarded but she's flat out refusing to cooperate. Please, I know that you had a thing for Lady Heather and helped her…but focus on Cath. We'll get the bastard who took Lindsey…you take care of her." Warrick advised and Grissom nodded silently, accepting his friend's words.

Sara arranged the pictures of Eliza's wounds and the clearing on the table. She froze and demanded of Nick, "Where's the note?"

"Oh Lord, I didn't even look at it!" Nick exclaimed and donning latex gloves rapidly, he rummaged through the backpack.

Moments later he withdrew the note and they stared at it in horror.

"I've got her now and when I'm done with her…I might return her to you a little bit at a time. Or I might make you wonder but you'll never see me coming when it's your turn." The sinister words sent chills down their spines as the pair read the note.

Warrick and Grissom came in and saw their pale faces.

"I swear to God, she'll say yes to the police escort. Her life's in danger and I'm going to kill this bastard if I get to him before he gets to her." Grissom vowed, his light blue eyes turning to ice in his anger.

"Tell her that. We'll start on this. Just go." Sara urged and Grissom complied, leaving his efficient team to tackle the daunting process of locating Lindsey.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Catherine's House

Grissom pulled up to the house and offered a quick nod to Lieutenant Vega who had positioned at the front door. He flashed his identification and entered.

"Cath?"

From the back of the house, he heard footsteps approaching rapidly. He saw the attractive redhead seconds before she was in his arms.

"I thought you wouldn't make it." She murmured, and he held her. He could hear her heartbeat racing under the cotton of her blouse.

"Let's sit. I'm not going anywhere. How's your mother?"

"Mom's fine. She took a sedative from the ambulance crew and they left some more with me for her if she needs it. Lindsey…she's gone and it's tearing her apart." Catherine sank into the loveseat in her family room, staring blankly at the television.

"I know she's gone. Let's go through her room and see what's still there that might give us a clue." Grissom took her hand and they walked silently down to Lindsey's room.

The teenager's room was painted navy and had silver stars and a bright full moon on the ceiling. Her bed was unmade, having been slept in only briefly that night. There were clothes on the floor and a hairbrush on the nightstand. Her CD player was off and her closet door was open.

"Here, take the hairbrush. And here's her toothbrush, for DNA. Have Greg run the tests." Catherine offered him the brushes and Grissom sealed them in an evidence bag.

"Take a walk with me?" He asked, reaching for her hand.

"Sure." She obliged him and they walked out to the backyard. He noticed a scrap of fabric on the gatepost and immediately went over to it.

"Recognize this?" He asked Catherine, holding it up with a pair of tweezers.

"It's from her favorite sweatshirt. It's a black cotton hoodie with a silver wolf on the front. She must have been wearing her khaki pants and boots since they were missing from her room when I looked through it." Catherine realized and Grissom placed a call to Greg at the lab.

"Greg, we have a visual on what Lindsey's wearing. Write this down, okay?" Grissom relayed the message and hung up. Catherine was staring at the opening in the woods where her daughter so often was at night.

"I want to see where she was taken." Catherine told Gil firmly and his eyes darkened in apprehension.

" I don't think that's a good idea, Cath. Please…leave the scene unspoiled. We're bringing in the dogs in a few minutes…I already talked to Brass on the phone on my way here." Gil carefully advised and Catherine's eyes saddened even though she understood his reasoning.

" I want my daughter back, Gil. I'm not going to stop until I get her back here where she belongs." Her determination made him smile inwardly with pride.

"Then go with us when we follow the dogs."


	9. Chapter 8

Author's Note: I do not own CSI or any of the characters, however much I wish I did. I do own Leon, Eddie's "brother". CBS owns CSI.

Chapter 8: The Lab

Sara was examining the note written by Lindsey's kidnapper and elation fluttered through her. She had found a fingerprint! Carefully she dusted the note and lifted the print. Not daring to believe it, she realized she had a perfect print to run through AFIS.

"GREG! Run this, now!" She demanded, taking the evidence to him. Greg saw it, his eyes widening, and shoved it into the machine. Punching a few buttons, they watched the print get compared to hundreds of thousands of others in the system.

Ten minutes later, with Nick and Warrick in the same room, the machine beeped a match. Nick leapt forward and snatched up the handout.

"Oh God, not again!" His face drained of all blood and Warrick's did the same when he saw who Lindsey's kidnapper was.

It was Eddie's half-brother, Leon Daniels. Her uncle.

Sara placed a call to Grissom and Greg made one more to Brass to get an APB out on Eddie's car.

Grissom took the call from Sara and turned to face Catherine.

"He left a print on the note. It's Leon Daniels, Eddie's half-brother." Her face tightened with anger and she made a low growling sound in her throat.

"I'm leaving you here and Greg and I are going to go to his apartment and search with Brass. You are under police orders to stay in this house. Wear your gun and watch your mother. I'll be back soon." Grissom told her grimly. She felt defeated, and he knew it. Leaning closer, he kissed her gently.

Their lips melded and passion flared briefly and Grissom ended the kiss.

"Remember that, Cath. I'll call you as soon as we know anything."

He left silently and Catherine remained in the hallway, frozen. She could still taste him on her lips, an interesting combination of mint and coffee, and she could smell him even though he was gone. Hurry home, Grissom, and bring my baby with you, she thought worriedly.

Grissom met up with Greg at Leon's apartment. The two CSIs waited patiently for the LVPD to arrive and Captain Brass was their leader for the night. He knocked loudly on the door and a bare-chested man who looked like he had been in the middle of an affair opened it.

"Are you Leon Daniels?" Brass demanded.

"What is it to you who I am?" The man slurred, his eyes darting nervously down the hallway. Brass started to say something but stopped when they heard a piercing scream from the back of the apartment.

Brass drew his gun and with Leon at gunpoint held him back as Greg and Grissom rushed in, their own weapons drawn.

Lindsey was tied to the bed, blood dripping down her arms and legs from her thrashing against her restraints. Her eyes were red from crying and she was nude. Greg and Grissom averted their eyes and covered her with a blanket they'd brought.

"Lindsey, do you remember me? I'm Gil Grissom, a co-worker of your mother's. We're going to take you home to her now, okay?" Grissom spoke reassuringly to the teenager and she sobbed once.

Greg cut the ties holding her to the bed and she curled up in a ball, moaning. As Greg cleaned up her injuries to the best of his inexperienced ability, she raised her head and met Grissom's gaze.

"I don't feel very good. I think I'm going to…" she broke off as the room spun and she fell unconscious.

Grissom dialed an ambulance and Brass ushered a handcuffed and sullen Leon to his cruiser.

The paramedics loaded Lindsey's nude body onto a stretcher and the woman paramedic examined her briefly.

With a sad look on her face, she told Grissom, "She was raped. Call her mother and have her meet us at the hospital."


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Lindsey

Bright lights keep beating on her eyelids and Lindsey reluctantly awoke. Her face scrunched up at the intrusion of the electricity and she heard a relieved voice.

"Honey, are you okay?" Her mother's voice, she realized and she turned her head to her mother's direction.

"Mom? Where are you?" She asked, fear beginning to sink in.

"You're looking right at me, darling. What do you mean?" Catherine grew worried when Lindsey's eyes looked right past her.

"I can't see you. Mom, what's wrong with me?" Now fear gripped her and Catherine reached out and took her daughter's hand.

"We'll find out, darling. I promise." Catherine kissed Lindsey's hand and let go.

"I'm going to talk to the doctors, let them know you're awake." Catherine slipped out of the room and flagged down the nearest doctor.

"I'm Catherine Willows. My daughter Lindsey was brought in as a rape victim a few hours ago. She's awake but she can't see." She informed him, a hitch of alarm in her smooth voice.

"I'll get her tested for brain damage right away. Why don't you stay with her and keep her calm until we are ready in the CAT scan room?" The doctor, a kind-hearted young man reassured her and he made a note on Lindsey's chart.

As Catherine was returning to Lindsey's room, she saw Warrick and Nick approaching.

"Hey, Cath, how's she doing?" Warrick greeted Catherine affectionately and she swallowed.

"She's awake now, but she can't see. They're going to test her. I would do anything to switch places with her, to take away her pain. Come in and talk to her with me, okay?" Catherine requested uneasily and Nick nodded, stepping into the room with her.

Lindsey turned her head to face them and smiled. "Hi, Nick, hi Warrick. Mom, I'm hungry."

Warrick saw her sightless blue eyes staring past him and sat next to her on the bed.

"Hey kiddo. Here's the deal. You'll get real food just as soon as they finish running some tests on you."

"Sign me up ASAP, then. Man this food sucks. I…" she froze.

"What is it honey?" Cath asked immediately, seeing the frightened look on her daughter's face.

"Mom, it's him. He's here…the one who…did this to me." Lindsey whispered and Cath spun, Nick and Warrick on her feet. True to Lindsey's word, there stood Leon.

"What are you doing here?" Catherine snarled angrily, blocking Lindsey from his view. Nick and Warrick had their hands on their guns, and were aiming them steadily at him.

"I am out on bail. You wouldn't let them use those on me, would you sister?" Leon smiled charmingly at Catherine.

"I'm not your sister and I never was. Eddie is dead, Leon. That eliminates the slight connection you and I had, with you being his illegitimate brother and Lindsey being his sole heir to the family fortune." Catherine growled, as Leon took a step closer to her. Nick cocked the trigger on the gun and the man stopped in his tracks.

"One day I will catch you when they aren't around and your pretty daughter is gone. She was good, better than I expected. A virgin is always better than a whore like you." Leon again smiled menacingly at her and then turned, vanishing down the hallway.

"Mom?" Lindsey's voice was tight with fear and Catherine sat next to her daughter and gathered her child into her arms.

"I'm here." Catherine reassured the frightened teenager and Lindsey's tears escaped.

"Oh, Mom. I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to disobey you…I…" she gasped as the sobs wracked her.

Nick left discreetly as he was unable to cope with a woman's tears but Warrick sat next to Lindsey.

"Lindsey, you always star-gazed at the same time. He's probably been planning this for a while and there was nothing you could have done to prevent it. You're going to be okay." Lindsey offered him a weak smile and he kissed her forehead.

Little did they know, things were going to get a lot worse before they got better.


	11. Chapter 10

Author's NOTE: Thanks for the encouraging reviews and author adds from candidata, Black Tulip, RenalovesSVU, Grillowsfan, and PigXiaolin101. I'm writing as fast as I can but I'm in the middle of getting ready for finals so bear with me. Here's Chapter 10!

Chapter 10: The hospital/police station

When Lindsey was wheeled away to the X-ray room, Catherine called Sara and Grissom via conference call.

"Leon's out on bail. What are my legal rights to keeping him the hell away from my daughter?" To Sara's practiced ears, Catherine's voice was strained and she knew her fellow CSI was reaching her maximum stress point.

"I don't know. I'll call Brass and find out…don't do anything stupid, Cath. We all want to kill the bastard but…he's got to stay alive till trial." Sara reassured Catherine and Grissom spoke for the first time.

"Cath, keep Nick and Warrick there. I'll be by later with Greg to relieve them and we'll keep a watch on Lindsey overnight until she's released or put under police protection." Grissom's voice broke the dam of tears Catherine was trying to hold back. She let out a heart-wrenching sob and hung up. Slowly, she sank to her knees and wept silently, her slender frame jolting with each gasp of air she took in.

THE LAB

Grissom heard Catherine sob and the phone clicked.

"DAMN IT!" He yelled in frustration and Sara glanced at him knowingly.

"Get the hell out of here, Gil. Go to her. I'll call you when I find something new." Sara instructed her boss gently and he nodded, leaving without a word. Nick came in and wrapped his arms around Sara's waist, holding her gently. They knew the frustration of not being able to help the one you love but they had resolved that problem and were happily in love.

Warrick joined them and Nick released Sara to take her hand.

"Lindsey's gone blind, Sara. It might be permanent but of course we're hoping it's only temporary." Warrick's announcement was like a blow to the head. Sara's mind reeled with shock and she gasped.

"Aww, hell. Now I want to go see her and make sure she's okay. The blindness is one more thing to make her feel vulnerable." Sara complained wryly, and Nick chuckled. He knew Sara hated showing emotions but he'd worn her down little by little.

Grissom drove madly to the hospital and ran the halls to Lindsey's room. He heard Catherine gasping inside and then he saw her, curled in a ball and weeping. Soundlessly he dropped to the floor next to her and pulled her into his arms.

"Shh…Catherine, I'm here. I promise, I'm here. You aren't alone anymore." His words calmed her and gradually she stopped her weeping. She stared up at him with red-rimmed eyes and he thought she was the most beautiful, strong woman he'd ever known and ever would know.

"Cath, I…" He broke off as a shadow fell on the floor. Instinctively he turned and saw the doctor and Lindsey in the doorway.

"Mom? I want to go home…"Lindsey's voice sounded scared and Catherine kissed Grissom's cheek before going to her daughter.

Internally Gil sighed. Now was not the right time to tell Catherine he loved her.


End file.
